`Use of money, muscle power during polls rising`

Shillong: Rounding up the election review in three poll-bound states in the north east, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath Tuesday said the Commission is wary of the use of money and muscle powers during the process.

"Flying squads will be constituted to go to the spot where there is evidence of movement of cash or other objects to see that they don`t exercise undue influences on the polls," Kumar said at a press conference here.
He said candidates will be directed to open a separate bank account specifically for the poll expenses and election officials would be keeping a tab at all expenses of each candidate.

The Hills State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), a regional party supporting the ruling Congress coalition government in Meghalaya, has expressed concern at intimidation through money and muscle power during electioneering demanding strict action against defaulters.
"Under our new instruction the candidate or his agent will be required to visit our returning officers accounting wing...And they will maintain shadow register of expenditure of each of the candidates," Sampath said.

While the Election Commission has put a ceiling of Rs 8 lakh expenditure for each candidate in small states like Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland, the EC commissioner said, "A comprehensive expenditure monitoring instruction was also issued on how to deal with such instances including paid news items."